A sad commentary on most companies is the lack of regard for their own history. Years ago it was common for larger firms to have a museum on premises or at the very least archived information.

Packard, Studebaker, even Lionel trains all had collections. As time marched along and they ran into financial problems these collections (with the exception of Stude) were dispersed.

Packard's vehicles were "liberated" and lots of their records and files were burned or thrown away.....Lionel's goodies were sold off at fire sale prices......but Studebaker luckily had the foresight to donate their whole kit and kaboodle to the city of South Bend.

The round about point I'm trying to make is that nowadays even if a company is in good shape they for the most part don't bother with maintaining a record of their history.....and if they had, then they usually dispose of it as it detracts from the bottom line.

Seems it's up to "loonies" like us to horde stuff until ultimately a museum can be found to preserve such items. There's a really neat place in Minden Nebraska named the Pioneer Village which collects and displays all manner of Americana, something that no one else has done to such a large scale:
http://www.pioneer-village.com/
Seems we need more of these sorts of places nowadays.

Have been attending the on going sale of the remains of the Indian motorcycle company and keep digging up historically significant stuff among the rubble. Have been giving these items to a former employee for safe keeping....we both recognize the future historical value although no one else there does, they're all worried about squeezing the last buck.

Anthony